EORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA): Guyana's National Assembly after a six-hour debate and with support from the main opposition party has passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2007 referred to as ‘Recall Legislation’ with 49 Members of Parliament supporting the legislation.



The Amended Bill that was passed with further amendments proposed by Government will address the issue commonly known as crossing-the-floor or defection.

The Amended Bill will enable representatives of parliamentary parties, to ask the Speaker of the National Assembly to declare a seat vacant on the basis that a representative has lost confidence in a party member that occupies that seat.

Under section 156 (2), upon receipt of a Notice of Recall, the Speaker shall declare the seat of the member in the National Assembly vacant, and that seat may be filled in the manner provided by the law.

Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, who represented Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, said the Amendment to the Constitution is long overdue and should be put in place to ensure that Parliamentarians serve the electorate.

“Of late it has come to our notice that certain persons after becoming Members may not adhere to the discipline or do not show faith and allegiance to the list from which their names were extracted and may show allegiance to another list and this act is contrary to the faith reposed in the list of the people,” Rohee said.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic members contended that the issue of crossing-the-floor provokes immense debate and should be addressed and the Amendment will make the necessary provisions in the Constitution to empower the list the right to remove members in the circumstances of possible crossing-the-floor.

“Members drawn from the List are answerable to the trust reposed in them and it is their bounded duty to adhere to the policies and programmes which gave them the berth. A member has thus to safeguard the trust in him and he should be faithful to the list and its policies and programmes,” Rohee said.

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) Robert Corbin pledged his party’s support for the Recall legislation.

“This support is not a decision is not one made by the leader rather a central executive committee decision. This provision is necessary since no one has a transport for a seat in the House and they should be here to serve the people,” Corbin said.

Under the Amended Bill a member may declare in writing to the Speaker or the representative of the list from which his or her name was extracted that he or she will not support the list from which his or her name was extracted.

“The principle is that a member of a legislative body is obliged to resign if he or she changes his or her allegiance to the list from which his or her name was extracted during the life of the Legislature,” Rohee said.